Halo co-creator leaves EA, single-player Battlefield game will get a new director

Back in October 2021, following the shuttering of his own independent studio, Halo co-creator, Marcus Lehto, joined EA to form a brand new studio. The studio known as Ridgeline Games was tasked with working on future single-player Battlefield campaigns, but we are already seeing some shake-ups, with Lehto leaving the studio this month.  

Battlefield used to be well known for its campaigns, but after Battlefield 4, EA began to turn its focus towards multiplayer. Nowadays, Battlefield campaigns are minimal and primarily act as a tutorial for the main game, rather than a core part of the experience. EA is looking to change that with Ridgeline Games, which has been working on the Battlefield franchise since 2022.

One year on from all of this being announced, Lehto is now leaving EA. In a statement, he confirmed that his departure was his own decision, while also thanking the Battlefield community for providing feedback as the team at Ridgeline Games begins to outline its plans for future single-player content.

“Yes, I left EA on my own accord. This was very a tough decision for me to make. I want to thank the Battlefield community for allowing me to listen to you while I was able. Your feedback will help make Battlefield stronger. I wish the teams at EA all the best moving forward”, he said in a post on Twitter.

For now, Lehto will be “taking time away from games”, so he may end up popping up again at another studio but for now, it appears that he will be taking a break and exploring other opportunities. Lehto made his name in the games industry back in the 90s, co-creating Halo at Bungie, where he stayed until 2012, when he departed to start his own studio, which unfortunately shut down in 2021 after its first major game struggled to become a commercial success. Following that, he joined EA as part of the publisher's efforts to revamp the Battlefield franchise.

EA has not yet announced a new lead for Ridgeline Games, so we'll have to wait and see who takes on the mantle next.

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KitGuru Says: From the sounds of it, this wasn't the result of layoffs or workplace struggles, but rather for personal reasons. The games industry is a tough one to work in and after decades in one field, you can't blame anyone for wanting to move on to something new. 

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